


Picture

by Fjeril



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Complete derivation from canon, M/M, Major spoilers for Part2, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 09:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7679650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fjeril/pseuds/Fjeril
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Banri probably is Re:vale's biggest fan. But never would he have imagined he'd hear those words again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Picture

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, not sorry.

As every morning, the first thing he did was watching the TV. As every morning, the music channel showed both of their faces. He smiled, always delighted to see them, happy whenever he heard their voices. But somehow, whenever those grey eyes turned towars him... Guilt, pain, and fear hit him right in the face. It had been five years, and though he had started a new life, he sometimes missed the old one.

So, he looked at his phone, wondering once again if he should call that number. He had never erased it, as well as the e-mail address linked to it. He wanted to call him, just to hear his talking voice. Not the one he had on TV shows, or during performances. The one nobody knew. Nobody except Momo, of course, for as much as he knew.

Watching his phone's screen, he hesitated on tapping the call button. _No, bad idea, they must be working right now... A mail, maybe? No, that would be even worse. After all those mails he sent me that I never answered... And, I don't want an hypothetical discussion to begin that way._ So, he locked the phone, placed it on the night stand, and started walking towards the bathroom. The second he placed his hand on the door handle, his phone vibrated. His heart skipped a beat, and he looked at it, as his ringtone started to play.

Startled by the call, he thanked himself for having recently changed his ringtone to the latest Idolish7 song. _But what if...?_ Shaking, he walked back to the nightstand, where he had put his phone, and looked at the name written on the screen - he felt relieved when he saw the words "Takanashi Tsumugi".

His hands - and his whole body, actually - were still shaking when he answered the call, and he could swear his colleague and friend could hear how his voice trembled. She asked for the latest contracts propositions, the schedules, and every piece of information she could need in the next three hours, before apologizing. He smiled, and, the conversation over, looked back at his phone screen. The lock picture was an Idolish7 one - but the wallpaper was a quite intimate, old photo of the man he missed so much.

Sometimes, he wondered why he had kept it, but everytime he saw the peaceful look on the man's face, his messy hair, the blanket that barely covered him - everything in that picture was perfect. Oh, he had made sure he couldn't see those grey eyes on the picture - those eyes could still steal his mind and body, and he wouldn't be able to focus on anything if he had to see them everytime he unlocked his phone.

So, he placed the device back on the nightstand, and went to take a shower. The next days were going to be long, for he had a lot of work. Plus, that night was going to be Re:vale's next concert in town - he had obtained a special authorization to leave work earlier, and that made him exceedingly happy. He'd get to hear the famous band's new song, that they had kept a secret until now.

He was impatient, but he had work to do before going there. Lots of work. Involving seven children and their manager. Even that made him happy, because he liked what he had to do. It had never been a secret for anyone that he loved his job. He had always loved doing that. Even though there was one thing that he loved even more, since he knew there was no way he'd do it again, he had decided on giving his best for his current job.

Closing his eyes, under the falling water, he took some time, as every morning, to think about his day. About the TV shows - Riku, Iori, Mitsuki and Tamaki were on one in the morning, one in the afternoon and a short, last one late in the evening - and the shootings - Nagi was shooting a commercial for jewelry, while Yamato had his weekly shooting for the drama he starred in - about how Tsumugi and him were going to supervise everything, about the communication he had to do about the upcoming tour. But most of it, about the live he was going to in the evening.

He was impatient. He couldn't wait to hear their voices. He couldn't wait to see their faces, to see them sing and dance. He couldn't help imagining crossing his gaze...

His eyes opened, and he sighed. It was really not the time to think about that. _Really not, body_. There was a reason why, even though he went to each one of their lives, he placed himself where they couldn't see him anymore. Well, two reasons, actually, but since they were linked... He rubbed his face, trying to erase his overwhelming feelings. It wasn't the time to think about it. He'd be himself at the end of the day, for now he needed to be Oogami Banri.

Eight hours left.

That was such a long time that he decided to be twice as concentrated as he usually was. He knew time flew faster that way. He _wanted_ time to go faster. As fast as it was possible until 3pm. It still wasn't enough for him, but whatever - there was no need to rush his work for something he would be going to anyway. So, he did his best to get the perfect communication pack for Idolish7's tour - soon, he'd be in the backstages of several live houses, working in order for those seven guys to become even better, to gain even more popularity. He wanted to show that man that he was still there, and that he didn't need his help. That he'd help people raising even higher than Zero. That getting to such a rank didn't necessarily mean being alone.

When his phone rang for the upteenth time that day, he tried to answer the call, and panicked a little bit when he didn't hear any voice. Had he hung up without noticing? He took a look at his screen, cringing. The last phonecall was dated from thirteen minutes ago. Then why?

Once again, the phone rang, but on his screen, the only words he could read were: "Don't forget about the concert!". His eyes widened, and, while his fingers were shutting the alarm, he started laughing. How could he have forgotten? As soon as he reached his office, he told Tsumugi that he was leaving, and gave her the indications she needed, adding that he wouldn't be reachable in the next hours, and that he had left a notebook in case she needed a reminder on anything. The notebook was completely filled from the cover to the backcover, and he had put bookmars to help her find what she neeeded more easily.

He could then serenly drive to the concert hall. He parked a far enough from the hall, then changed into more comfortable clothes, and untied his hair. He messed them a little, makng sure his bangs were still in place - Tsumugi sometimes told him his scar was showing during work, when he was too focused on what he was doing. If there was something he _didn't_ want to attract attention on, it was the scar. Not like he'd wish he'd attract attention otherwise, though.

When he felt satisfied, he waited for the opening of the hall. There, he went and bought some of the latest goodies, including the latest photosets. He couldn't help but think the photographer didn't understand anything when the pictures had been taken, but it was always the same thing, huh... Oh, well, these were promotion pictures, what was he expecting in the first place? Of course they wouldn't show his real face.

His shopping over, before entering the hall in itself, the dark-haired man took a last look at his phone. Eyes going from the photoset to the wallpaper, he finally decided on writing a message. Oh, nothing long, or explicit. Just the simplest thing he could say.

"Do your best."

He hesitated, his thumb ready to tap on the "send" button. The young man breathed in, ready to send his text, but some overly excited young woman bumped into him, and the phone flew away, the back cover and battery popping out of it. Still, he checked on the girl to see if she was alright, and as soon as she assured him she was okay, he went and gathered his phone's parts. The screen wasn't broken - luckily for him, but in the end...

_Well, it's better like that._

He sighed, and decided to go to his place, hidden in the highest seats of the upper rows. He was near a spotlight, just enough not to be seen without being blinded by it. There, there was no chance any of them could see him... Serene, he smiled, waiting for the live to start.

He had expected the live to start the usual way, but the notes that came to his ears were completely new to him, though they had a very familiar feeling. It sounded like... His eyes opened wide. Wasn't it that song?

"What did you do..." he whispered for himself, worried about what was going to happen.

And then, Momo started singing. The lyrics, the atmosphere of the song... It made him uncomfortable. He swallowed, placed a hand before his mouth. He wasn't completely sure how to feel - the happiness of that song beng completed was mixed with the sadness it was filled with. And those words, _Silver Sky..._ They couldn't have been chosen randomly. He wanted to shout, to say he was there, he wanted to stop hiding, for four whole minutes. His eyes were twitching, his throat was burning, and every of his muscle wanted to get up and run to the stage - but he forbid them to move the slightest.

As he was silently crying, the dark fell upon the hall, that turned completely silent. And then, Yuki started singing, _a capella_. His heart skipped another beat. Memories flew before his eyes. Of their everyday life, of their happiness, of their work together, of their lives, of their nights together. Just the two of them.

But then, Momo started singing, too. Oh, he knew. He knew why Yuki had chosen Momo. But everytime he was reminded, his whole body shivered. It was awesome, and he smiled, remembering himself that was why he didn't want to show up.  
But as the concert went on, his determination was falling. He loved what he saw, he loved what he heard, and even if, once again, it turned his feelings upside down, even if, at the end of the live, he didn't remember who he was anymore. When the lights went back on, he was the only one still sitting, his fists clenched, his breath erratic, and he wasn't sure exactly where he was in the world. It wasn't until a security staff asked him if he was alright that he returned to reality. His lost eyes trying to understand the man's face, he babbled what he could.

"Ah, uh, I'm alright. Sorry. I will leave. Sorry for the bother," he answered, getting up before bowing. and gathering his things.

He bowed one last time, then left the hall. After that, he looked all around himself, breathed in, breathed out, and started walking towards his car. Why was he putting himself in such a state when it was about them?! Why couldn't he send a simple text?!  
Hearing a talking voice, he stopped walking. He knew that voice. _Way too well._ So, he tried to locate where it came from, in order to avoid the way. The fact that it was approaching wasn't reassuring, but the person seemed to be talking with someone else. His voice was pressing, and the dark-haired man could guess he was tensed. Soon, it became obvious that his interlocuter wasn't around.

_Please let him be too focused on his phonecall..._

He didn't feel good, and Oogami Banri's confidence had left him - without his usual smoking, he wasn't the same man - so he looked all around himself to try and find a hideout. Unfortunately, there was nothing in sight. Well. _Alright. Once again: breathe in, breathe out. After all, it could be the perfect chance to talk to him..._ He looked towards the other person, but the man didn't even seem to notice it.

He thought about it for what seemed to be hours, though it was probably just a few minutes, but since no right sentence formed in his head, he decided to give it up, and walked towards his car, telling himself he had just imagined that quick glance he had felt while crossing the parking lot. Once he got in his vehicle, he observed his own face in the mirror. He looked like a zombie. The bags under his eyes were terrifying, he'd have to heavily cover them the next morning, and his hair had moved, showing a part of his scar. He winced, put the bangs back in place, and smiled at his reflection.

_Why am I even smiling at that face... I look like I just weathered a storm... And the only one I weathered was the storm of my feelings._

Knowing he couldn't do much about that, he turned the contact on, and drove back home. Coming back to this person... Would it really be right anyway? He shook his head, and sighed. _Of course not..._ Smiling, he grabbed his bag and the clothes he had put aside for the concert, and went back home. He was lucky that his boss found him a flat in a rather calm residential lot, somewhere people were usually sleeping when he went back home. So, he tried to be as silent as possible, and closed the door to his flat.  
Leaning against the door, before turning the lights on, he looked all around himself. Everything was just the way he had left it that morning. But for those mere seconds, it was as if he didn't belong there. Almost as if...

_No, the past is in the past._

He turned the lights on, smiling at all he had there. First, he went and prepared a glass of water, before going to the bathroom to change into his night clothes, and washed his teeth, looking at himself in the mirror. He winced when he realized he once again had gone through the darkness, after all those years fighting to get out of it.

"I guess my fight isn't completely over yet," he muttered to himself.

His head completely empty, he shut the lights off, and went to bed: he had to wake up early, for another busy day. It still felt surreal, but it was the same as every concert. Lying in his bed, he extended his left hand, as if he was trying to reach the ceiling. There, he watched the color on his painted nails.

_Silver Sky..._

The lyrics of the songs came back to his mind, and he wondered why they created such a song. Was it really what he thought it was? Were there problems between the two of them? His heart told him to investigate, his mind told him he should put his nose in other people's matters. He'd better try and sleep quickly, he'd feel better the next day, after all.

The next days, weeks even, weren't as smooth as he hoped them to be. Idolish7 wasn't easy to manage, considering they were still new to the business, and they had personnal problems. Yet, they were hardworking kids, and he wouldn't let them give up - even when Mr Takanashi told them he'd disband them, shocking both the band, their manager, and the communication agent.

He didn't want them to disband. He didn't want them to stop what they were doing. He didn't want anyone to give up their dream. Miracles never happened twice, he told himself. Hopefully, he wasn't alone on this, and, with Tsumugi's help, managed to make plans to change their ideas, and find again what they were missing at that time. Seeing them in that state reminded him of himself at the same age - not sure of what to do, not sure if they had what they wanted. Not sure if it was the life they wanted.

The life they wanted...? _Is this the life I wanted?_ I wanted them to be happy, but are they?

Between two phonecalls, standing alone face to the Zero arena, Banri looked at the screen. It was time, wasn't it? More than four years had passed. Almost five, actually ; in a few months, it would be five years since everything started... Or ended? He didn't really know how to put it. _Anyway_ , he told himself, _if they're both suffering, I probably shouldn't let them stay like that, right?_

Nodding, he breathed the fresh air of the place, and finally looked for his name in his contacts. He wasn't sure - should he send a message or just call him? He looked all around him - he wanted to be sure he was completely alone for that. So, he tapped on the call icon, his fingers trembling.

He couldn't help but feel his heart beating way too fast - and almost hear it, that was kind of creepy, right now - as he was waiting for the other one to answer. Every beep sounded longer than the precedent one, and before the third one, he was sure he wouldn't get an answer. Which would be perfectly fine, since both of them were very busy, after all. He still had other phonecalls to do after that...

Closing his eyes, he took the phone away for his ear, ready to click on the "hang up" button, but something prevented him from doing so.

"Hello?"

His heart started racing, and his throat instantly dryed. _How does talking work, already?_ He swallowed, considered hanging up, but then managed to tell himself that was stupid - anything he was doing right now was stupid, actually. So, in his panick, he forgot the speech he had prepared, and only managed to babble a:

"Y-Yuki?"

He could hear a sigh on the other side of the phone, and, as he told himself he had screwed up, a reply that made him grit his teeth came:

"If this is a joke, it's not funny, please hang up.  
\- No! I..."

What was he supposed to say already? "Hey, it's me, we haven't talked for years but you know, you made this song about the color of my eyes, and I was wondering if you wanted to talk?"? Worst contact ever. How came he could manage talking to people he had never seen, but not to his old friend?

"I'm sorry for calling, all of a sudden, after all these years," he blurted out, hoping it'll be okay.

No immediate answer. He wondered what had happened, and checked if the network was still working, and the phonecall still ongoing. Until...

"BAN?! Is that you?! Is that really you?!"

The other one's voice sounded both very enthusiastic and very worried.

"Where are you?! Where were you?! I've been looking for you for..."

For way too long, yeah, he knew.

"...Almost five years. I know. I counted."

He hadn't finished his sentence that his long lost friend replied:

"Tell me you're alright! Tell me you're not.."

Sighing, he interrupted Yuki, once again.

"I'll tell you everything, but please, Yuki. Not right now. Not like that. Let's meet. When are you free?"

On the other side of the phone, the voice had calmed down, sounding as if he had been scolded. So, they compared schedules - no way they were meeting during work, even if Re:vale had business with Idolish7 - and decided on a date. That was two and a half week later. Banri felt bad when he saw the date, but considering it was the only off day they had in common, they couldn't do better, and god had they tried... Watching the Zero Arena - the renovations would soon be over - made him remember one last thing.

"Oh, and Yuki?  
\- Yeah?  
\- Please. Never stop singing."

He could almost hear the smile on the other side of the phone.

"I promise."

Relief hit him way harder than he had expected it, and it was in a way too joyful tone that he ended the conversation. Finally, he looked at the call end screen, a happy smile on his lips. He was going to meet him in person again.

His whole body was shaking from the emotion, from the difficulty he had to finally take that decision. He had been so tense, not knowing how the other singer would take it, and now he needed some time before resuming work. He placed his hands on his face, blew some air, and waited for his body to stop trembling. He felt like a teenager, anxious over such a small thing. But he couldn't belive it. _He had done it. He had finally called Yuki._

He wanted to cry, to apologize. He had so much things to tell him. Oh, he didn't regret anything, but he missed that man _so much_... With an extatic laugh, he came back to himself, and soon found himself on his way back to work.

During the upcoming week, he felt the member's looks on him had changed. More than once, he had seen them talking in a corner, and stopping their chattering once he approached them. He wondered why, but quickly shrugged it off - he had more important matters to think about. So, as the days went on and on, he had decided not to focus too much on it - it would be bad if he messed up anything just because his thoughts were focused on something that personal.

Fortunately, all his attention was little by little driven towards the event to which Idolish7 was invited. He had to manage communications between the event representative, the band, the costume designer, the musicians for the recording of the new song... Well, part of the musicians was himself, but he couldn't play every of the part the song needed. And he needed to coordinate that quickly, for they had to present the song at the event, as a surprise for the fans.

Which meant he also had to learn the composition in order to play it perfectly for the recording - he had dealt in order to record it in advance, under the supervision of the only person he trusted with his life. Fortunately, the recording went on very well, but unfortunately, it wasn't the same for the organization of the event. So, he had to spend every second of his free time to work on what wasn't right, re-arranging appointments and apparitions.

He had heard Mr Takanashi's warning about his health, but he couldn't allow himself to stop. He had to focus. He couldn't let anyone down, not in such a time. The first days went on quite well, but the last ones - his vision was becoming burry ( _I'll have to get a check up with an ophtalmologist_ , he told himself), his hearing could only focus on one thing at a time, and even like that, lots of words seemed completely deformed, and more than once he had to ask people to repeat what they had said. So, when, at home, he was sitting in the sofa, writing another mail to the event coordinator to try and finalize the solution they had found while putting online the message for the surprise that the even would be, he wasn't very surprised that his body told him to quickly place his computer on the coffee table, before he fell, unconscious.

Until he could hear three knocks. Once, twice. And a voice calling his name. It was a calm, deep voice that he was sure he knew - for some reason. Looking at his phone to know what time - of which day - it was, he discovered it was off. He tried to turn it back on, but the battery seemed to have died. Sighing, he got up, realizing how uncomfortable he was, and how heavy his body felt. It took his some time to get up, so he tried and told his boss he was coming, not even thinking about how he was looking.  
When he finally opened the door, he was quite taken aback to see relief on the man's face. Mr Takanashi asked him how he was feeling, and what he had been doing. Actually, he couldn't really remember - oh, wait, he was working. He hadn't managed to send his mail on time! It would be problematic for the band. And...

"I had something very important to do," he muttered, pondering, "Something so important I wouldn't work correctly if I thought about it too much..."

Right now, he wasn't able to remember it, but there was a ninety percent chance that he had written it on his phone. So, he plugged the charger in the device, and turned it on, his mind trying to scan all the things he had to do, and worrying about the event. The answer, though, didn't wait for him to check his schedule: his phone's wallpaper was enough of a clue.

_Yuki. I had forgotten Yuki. How could I have... Wait, it's still early, I'm still on time..._

Before he could even check the date, his phone vibrated more than it had ever done so in the past. Yuki had sent him twenty-seven e-mails, tried and called him ten times, left seven messages, and his inbox was so full of work-related e-mails he'd have to work even more to compensate, and to apologize.

"Banri. Are you feeling alright?"

The question got him out of his thoughts, and he almost dropped his phone. No, he wasn't. He had overwhelmed himself with work so he wouldn't be distracted with the fact he was to meet Yuki again that he had overworked himself.

"No, I am not. I have broken a promise again."

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and sighed.

"Is it about this person?"

Mr Takanashi knew about Yuki - not explicitly, but Banri had talked about him to his boss, when he had found him. He knew what he needed to know, nothing less, nothing more.

"It is. I was supposed to meet him, yesterday. But apparently I was unconscious, because of... Myself, indeed."

He didn't know what to do with himself. He had broken their promise twice... Raging against himself, he hid his face in the palm of his hands.

"Banri. Don't worry. He knows you, right? And he had accepted to meet you, even after five long years. Call him, he must be as worried as I was."

On those words, he felt the man leave the room, do some noise in the kitchen, and come back to his side. When he finally raised his head from his hands, he saw a glass of water, an apple, a cup of tea and a chocolate bar on his table. Looking at the man who saved his life, Banri tried to understand.

"You were unconscious for a day and a half. You need something to drink and eat. I'm giving you a few resting days - Tsumugi and I will take care of your work. Use that time wisely, alright?"

The young man smiled, and nodded. He was right. He knew what to do with that time. But first, he drank the glass of water, and took a bite of the chocolate bar. Then, he prepared himself mentally for what was coming. It would be easier, this time: if he had done it once, he could do it twice. ...He _could_ do it twice, right?

Breathing deeply, he looked for Yuki's name in his contacts, and pressed the "call" button. At least, he had been faster than the precedent time. The ringing didn't seem as long as the last time, and he felt a little better - still quite nervous about his friend's reaction, though.

The phone was quickly picked up, but the voice on the other side wasn't the one he had expected.

"Ban?! So it was true? You had contacted Yuki?!"

All this energy flabbergasted him. He knew the voice, he knew the energy, but he hadn't been confronted to it for years, and he'd have confronted that face to face rather than on the phone.

"Momo... Yes, it's me. Can you tell Yuki I'm sorry for not coming whithout contacting him? He must have felt so bad... I'm so sorry."

The younger man's voice seemed to calm down, and he even hesitated talking - which was very un-Momo-like.

"Yeah... He wasn't okay at all."

The tone of his voice told him the silver-haired singer had had an anxiety attack.

"But soon after, he was worried about you. He... Oh, wait."

He heard steps, and Momo's cheerful voice calling Yuki. He didn't really get the conversation, but soon enough, more noises - probably someone taking the phone back - and a voice:

"Ban! Are you alright?! What happened?! Was it Kujou again?"

He was so taken aback that he couldn't understand all of what he had heard. What was Yuki talking about?

"What? Kujou? What had Kujou to do with this?"

It seemed so weird to hear that name again, especially concerning him - oh, he had Kujou in sight, because of what he had heard about Nanase's twin, but right then, he didn't even understand how Yuki came to that conclusion.

"It's not him? Then what happened to you?"

He placed a hand on his face. He felt so stupid for what he had done, and yet...

"I... I fainted."

No answer on the other side. He knew it. Yuki was angry against him. He had probably hung up already. Banri checked that point - oddly enough, the call was still going on. So, he placed the phone back on his ear, wondering if he had broken Yuki.

"Yu..  
\- You overworked yourself, did you."

Sometimes, he hated that even after five years without talking to each other, the other one still knew him so well.

"I... Well, yes.  
\- Because you were stressed and you thought it would be worse if you thought about our meeting too much, right."

He cringed.

"Stop reading my mind, it's kind of creepy, right now," he joked.

"That's my repayment for your absence yesterday," the other one's voice replied softly. "So, I guess we'll have to wait again before we get to meet, huh."

The black haired man, feeling better, allowed himself a sip of tea before he finally answered:

"Don't talk before knowing, Yuki. You know, I'm quite a lucky man, working for a kind person who worries about my health. I'm free for the next few days. So, if you still want to hang out some time..."

This time, too, he could hear Yuki smile.

"Understood."

And thus it was decided that they'd meet the next day, at the beginning of the afternoon, in a discreet place where no curious fan could come and bother them. They needed their time together, for their reunion.

So, twenty-four hours later, Banri was sitting in the lodge of a coffee, in a calm district, waiting to see the face of the man he had spent the craziest five years of his life with, and his partner. Oddly enough, the nervousness he had felt all this time - when he had first wanted to call him, when he had heard the song, when he finally called... All of this seemed so far away when he first saw the silver hair. Actually, he had sensed Yuki enter the coffee before even being able to see him - but even more surprisingly, he had also sensed Momo's explosive aura, and both of those hit him in the face, as well as the realisation he had missed this home-like sensation, during all these years - he couldn't say he didn't feel at home with the Takanashis, but it was a different "home", Yuki had that aura he couldn't escape, the one he still loved so much to this day.

He suddenly remembered why he had always kept his girlfriends a secret to his former partner, at the beginning: they all looked like him in a way or another. But no woman could ever equal that man's everything.

Especially when the silver eyes turned towards him. Banri couldn't help but bite his lip, trying to keep his body under control - which was quite hard when the piercing eyes of such a charismatic man were locked on you and filled with so much emotions at the same time - he could discern surprise, relief, and- _No, I must be mistaken_.

Before he could even say a word, it seemed like Yuki was all over him. The man usually wasn't very touchy-feely when in public, but apparently, that day was an exception. His hands were all over Banri's face and body, and the dark-haired man hardly found the time to tell him that he should stop before his body reacted a little too much that he felt a finger on his scar. Suddenly, everything else disappeared, and it felt like the last five years hadn't existed at all.

He didn't grab Yuki's hand to put it away, though. He didn't even want him to move away. Banri just wanted to leave him the time to feel the scar, to realise it was there, and that it was a thing of the past. It was a remnant of their past together, yet it was also something that was all strange and new to the singer. So, he patiently waited, looking out for any reaction. Finally, the other one closed his eyes - there were high chances that he was thinking "I'm sorry" and telling himself, with reason, that he'd get punched in the face if he ever said these words - and smiled.

"I'm so glad. You're really not on the streets, and you look like you're alright.

\- I am," he answered almost immediately, preventing himself from doing something stupid like _kissing his former partner_.

Their faces were still very, very close, and that's when he noticed the sound of a camera. Turning towards the origin of the noise, he found... Momo, who looked back at him.

"What? This is too perfect, I couldn't not take pictures!" he happily singsang, tapping on his phone, before showing them his brand-new wallpaper: a freshly taken picture of the two men, their faces vey close to each other. Momo seemed very happy and proud of this, but Banri put his phone out of his pocket, and unlocked it.

"Hah, but mine is rarer," he teasingly said, showing the picture of the sleeping singer to the younger one.

"Oooh," Momo replied with admiration, "This is a rare Yuki, indeed. Mind sharing?"

Agreeing on sharing the pic, Yuki still on him, Banri sent it to Momo's number. He had kept that one, too, just in case, and apparently that was a great idea. Yuki looked at the both of them, jaded.

"Are you really exchanging pictures of me?" he asked, and Banri was sure he wouldn't really like the answer.

"Of course," the black haired man replied as if it was perfectly normal that your first contact with someone after five years without any contact was to exchange pictures of the other person you hadn't seen for five years. "Why? Are you jealous?"

Reaching for his own phone, Yuki answered to that in the best of ways.

"Yeah. I have Momo pics, but no Ban one. I want those, too."

The second after, Banri heard the sound of a picture being taken.

"Now, I'm better. I'm naming this one <<Perfect meeting>>."

And judging by the grin he had, the pic would stay somewhere in his phone. He didn't even know how their first meeting in five years had gone like that, but he didn't care about it anymore when the tempting lips approached his, one of Yuki's hands sliding up the shirt he was wearing.

"Stop, stop!" Momo's voice prevented.

Ban wondered if he was just jealous - he wouldn't mind him joining the party - but apparently, his reaction had nothing to do with it. Banri then looked all around him, and remembered they originally were in a public place.

"Oh, right..."

Fortunately, the other man seemed to realise the same, and went away from him, allowing both of them to sit correctly. Even though they just had fun, there was a serious talk to be had before anything went further. And Momo had told them right in time: a waiter was there to take their order.

As soon as they were all alone again, Banri bit his lip, played with his fingers, and looked at the two other men. He was a little nervous again, not sure how to explain what happened.

"Yuki... I'm really sorry for leaving without notice." He clenched his hands. "I... You remember that man, right? He had such a terrible aura..."

His eyes weren't looking at anyone, he was just trying to focus without his body feeling too bad.

"The thing he had said... That you should shine by yourself. And that kind of things. I knew you wouldn't stay alone, I knew Momo was there. So I left, because I knew that, if I had stayed, he would have done terrible things to you. After all, you were the one who was supposed to get crushed by the spotlight."

He couldn't help but touch the scar, an unconscious reflex he had kept from that time. He knew his speech hadn't been clear at all, but the two other men were clever enough to put it back in place, especially because they had both been there at the time.

"I needed to disappear. To make him think I had done what he wanted. Because I knew you wouldn't sing alone. And I also knew that if I asked you to do so, you'd keep singing."

The other one agreed, while the youngest looked at Banri with surprise.

"You had it all prepared?!"

Answering with a smile, his heart warming at all that innocence, Banri confessed:

"I knew you'd be the one. You were always there for us, and you could turn the world upside down if it were for the people you love. Yuki being one of these people, you'd definitely be the one to lead him on the right way."

And he was glad he had been that confident, because to that day, Re:vale had become perfect.

"Besides, I had heard you singing our songs, here and there. That was all I had needed to know you'd be the perfect partner for Yuki. And look at you, now. The two of you are the kings, in the Idol world."

Momo looked at him in awe, apparently unable to say a word. Yet, the youngest of the three lowered his head. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but he didn't dare to. Next to Banri, the silver haired singer bit his lip. What was happening...

"Actually..." Momo seemed very agitated, and looked for his words - which was, for as much as he remembered, something the younger never did. "It was for a limited time. I... I gave Yuki five years to find you. During those five years, I'd sing by his side, but as soon as you were back, I..."

The words he didn't pronounce seemed to hurt Yuki more than needed, and Banri could easily understand why. He could see it whenever they were together, whenever they sang on stage. He could even feel it in Yuki's behaviour at that moment.

"You what? Momo, don't tell me you're planning on leaving. I would never pardon such a thing. I know I shouldn't have left without warning, but that doesn't mean you should do the same."

Momo closed his eyes, his fists clenching.

"But that is _your_ position, to be by Yuki's side, not mine! I... I don't deserve it! Now that you're back, you are the one who deserve to be in Re:vale!"

He was about to cry, if the dark-haired man believed the way his voice sounded. He could hear fear, and despair, and that squeezed his heart. But before he could even say a thing, Yuki stood up.

"Momo. Stop that. You are not leaving Re:vale. I'm not letting you go away."

Wet eyes turned towards the man who just talked. Yuki also detached himself from Banri to go to the other side of the table, where the younger one was, and did something Banri would have never thought he'd do in front of anyone: he hugged Momo, with all the strength he had. He was having a hard time assuming what he was doing, according to his expression - Yuki had always been bad with feelings - but did it anyway. They were far enough from public view, so it probably helped a little.

"You're the one I want to sing with. The one whose voice can reach the stars. I..."

He definitely sounded like the words wanted to get out, but couldn't. As if his body wanted to refrain from showing any emotion. Banri wanted to help him, but he wasn't sure if it was the right idea. Fortunately, Yuki seemed to find his words, in the end.

"No voice in the world could equal yours, to me. No one could surpass you. To my eyes..." He took a deep breath. Banri was eager to hear what his long-lost friend had to say, and he didn't have to wait for long: "To my eyes, you even surpass Zero."

Silence fell. They all knew how hard it must have been for Yuki to say such a thing, and, of course, both of the other two were a little shaken with what they had just heard, especially the concerned one.

"Do you mean it?"

The look Yuki gave him was completely jaded.

"Do you really think I would have said such an embarrassing thing if I didn't mean it?"

The reaction was quick - Momo jumped to his partner's neck, with the happiest of smiles on his face, and Banri knew he had one thing to do. So, he picked up his phone, and took a picture.

"Ah, rarest Re:vale picture ever: got!"

Surprised, the other two turned towards him, Momo still biting his lip.

"But, and you, Ban? What will you do?"

He couldn't say he didn't expect the question: their reunion had been movemented, and he hadn't got the time to tell them about it yet.

"I'll keep the job I've had for the last five years," he calmly replied. Seeing the curious looks on Re:vale's faces, he added: "It's time I told you what you missed, right..."

It was his time to take a deep breathe, and try to organize his ideas. Remembering the state he was in five years ago made him uneasy, and he felt his leg move by himself. It was the time he had left the hospital, the time he had packed all his stuff and wandered in the streeets. But then...

"Five years ago, after I was authorized to leave the hospital, I had nowhere to go. Wherever I would be, the man would find me... I didn't want to play the guitar on the streets and get approached by curious fans, so I just went on, slept in manga cafes and tried to find a job... But one day, that man found me. He told me he had heard about me, and that he had a job for me. That man was Mr Takanashi, and to this day, I am very happy, and very proud to work for him. So... I'm sorry, but I'm not coming back to being on stage."

Silence followed, only broken by the waiter who brought them their order. Conscious he had probably broken the two men's hopes, Banri could only stare at the black liquid in his cup.

"So, you're working for Takapro," Yuki finally told, so quietly it was hard to imagine that ten minutes ago, he was almost undressing him.

"Yes, I am. I'm the proud community manager of Idolish7."

The bright smiles that answered him seemed to warm up the room. He, who had thought Re:vale would be angry with him, was surprised by that attitude, not knowing how to react to it.

"Those guys are awesome," Momo started.

"And that means you were never far away from us."

Not expecting this, Banri found himself smiling. That was right: he knew his band would have to meet Re:vale sooner or later, and something told him it would rather be sonner than later. Which meant he would probably be brought to be there, too.

"By the way..." Yuki seemed to ponder, and this time, the dark-haired man knew what he was going to ask. "Why did you call me, in the end? Why would you do that, after you stayed silent for all these years?"

Even though the answer had seemed obvious to him, apparently, it wasn't... He found it funny, coming from the ones who started it.

"Because you called me, didn't you?"

Incomprehension was visible on the other's faces. Were they serious?

"In front of a large audience. It was quite embarrassing. But I dare thinking you did not choose the words _Silver Sky_ without thinking."

Both pairs of eyes widened, face to him, and if the subject wasn't that serious, he would have died of laughter.

"You... Were there?"

He sighed, despaired, both because he didn't want to tell them everything right now, and because they looked so naively surprised - which was actually cute.

"I was always there. Never missed a live, never missed a release. Not one second was I not thinking about both of you. Yuki, my phone wallpaper is a picture of you, sleeping, naked, under a blanket, how can you even be _surprised_?"

At first, he couldn't believe that it only seemed obvious to him - but then, he thought about the loneliness his behavious must have caused, about what the despair of spending four years without finding him could have affected the other two. He realised how the song was a cry for help, at that time. And suddenly, he couldn't help but say:

"...I'm sorry..."

Placing a hand on his face, he tried to fight the negative thoughts that came to his mind. To not think how horrible he had been, how egoistic he had been when he had chose to disappear, while staying near them. Almost immediately - or was it an hour later? - he felt arms surrounding him. Two bodies against his, and two voices trying to shush him. He could feel himself talking, but he couldn't understand the words he was saying. Tears were falling from his eyes, and his body was shaking - as much as it could, because the two other ones were limiting his moves - and he couldn't really remember where he was. He just knew he had hurt people, the people he loved the most on this world.

For an eternity, or two, his mind was completely blank, and his body was hurting, stirring. When, finally, his vision and hearing came back, he was so tired his eyes were closing by themselves.

"Hey," a soft voice said, while a hand was caressing his cheek. "Are you feeling better?"

He looked all around him, and discovered his head was on Yuki's knees, his body lying on the sofa he was sitting on just before. Apparently, they were alone in that room...

"Where's Momo?" he asked, coming back to reality.

"He went asking for a glass of water and a hot chocolate for you," Yuki replied, still calm.

"Yuki... I'm sorry for all I've done.  
\- I know. You've been repeating it for half an hour. Ban..."

Yuki's head moved towards the door, and Banri could see a smile on his face before he turned his - oh so tempting - gaze towards him again.

"You're forgiven. You have been from the very beginning."

A single tear fell on his cheek, and, hearing the sound of a cup and a glass being put on a table, he smiled.

"Thank you. That was what I needed."

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, still not sorry. I had a lot of fun writing this, and hesitated on having it stop there or continue, but after a discussion with Eydol, and then with myself, I concluded I'd eventually make a second chapter/a bonus one. We'll see ~~
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading!


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